A Moment's Distraction
by Lady Murdock
Summary: A small scene between Rachel and John, no action, just a sweet exchange while they are tracking a building 7 fugitive through the sewers of New York City, and John is the one guy who understands Rachel. This is my first fanfic.


A small scene between Rachel and John, no action, just a sweet exchange while they are tracking a building 7 fugitive through the sewers, I love the idea of the two of them! This is my first fanfic.

A Moment's Distraction

Rachel gagged for what seemed like the hundredth time. Tracking an Alpha through the back alleys of New York was one thing, but she didn't think her senses could handle much more of the manhunt through the sewer tunnels of the city. She put her palm over the lower part of her face. Jesus, she couldn't even put into words what she smelled right now.

They had followed this week's latest building 7 escapee to an askew grate in the sidewalk, in a more flavorful part of town. "Ok people, its about to get real," Bill reached down and threaded his fingers through the grating. With one mighty yank, Bill flipped the cover over and out of the way. Rachel looked down the opening, "It doesn't look too bad, I can clearly smell where he went when he hit bottom," Rachel stepped forward with the intention of following Bill down the utility hole.

"Oh no you don't," Bill held his hand up to stop Rachel, "You and Gary go back to the car and secure the street, call Rosen and tell him our position."

"Are you serious? Someone else can stay with Gary- you need me with you to track the fugitive," Rachel took a step towards Bill, her body language emphasizing each irritated syllable.

"I can't have you in a tight area I can't secure, Rachel." Bill looked like he wouldn't budge, but Rachel hated to be left behind just because she wasn't the most, in Bill's words, experienced investigator, which was a nice way of saying she was helpless under fire. She could taste her regret as soon as the words came out of her mouth, "those tunnels are like a maze," Rachel insisted, "I'm going down with you."

John listened to Rachel gag yet again. He had known she would be uncomfortable walking through the worst parts of the waste of New York's finest. But unlike Bill, he had raised no protest when Rachel insisted she would be ok underground and that they needed her to follow the Alpha. John knew Rachel could be persistent and hated being treated like, well, a girl. Rachel was impossible to lie to, and even worse when babied. She had, though awkwardly, been the one who pursued him, even got him to admit his own insecurities, sharing his most painful secret. John edged closer to the front of the team- he had promised himself that if he and Rachel started to see each other he wouldn't let it affect the way he approached the group's tactical defenses. Despite his best intentions, however, he liked to keep Rachel close. He listened to her cough and knew Rachel wouldn't ask someone to take her up top at this point just because her senses were overwhelmed, no matter how uncomfortable or grossed out she was.

Since Rachel had almost lost it just sitting in a van with John over his choice of aftershave, she had no idea how she was still soldiering onward, leading the team through an environment that offended even the most human of senses. But there was no begging out at this point, not after the scene she'd made about being included in the manhunt. Dressed in jeans and walking boots, Rachel was already fantasizing about burning her clothes when she got home when she lost the scent of the Alpha the team was tracking.

Bill came to a halt at a three way intersection of tunnels; he looked to Rachel, "which way?"

"Bill, I don't know, there are just so many different really strong scents," Rachel coughed and covered her mouth and nose with both of her hands, "I just need a minute." She closed her eyes and tried to focus. There were too many horrible odors, if only she could just clear her super sensitive palate, for just a second.

John walked up behind Rachel, "You ok?"

Rachel looked up into John's concerned furrow. "Too much," she choked into her hands. In reaction to her muffled response he reached over and pulled Rachel close, smooshing her face into his chest. Hicks gave Bill a knowing smirk and Bill returned it with a look of annoyance. Everyone knew that John and Rachel had been trying something out between the two of them. Dr. Rosen had warned the rest of the team to lay off, as Rachel was extremely sensitive about the subject of dating. The two found other places to look as Rachel's yip of surprise abated and she breathed in John's scent, and only John's scent.

Rachel concentrated on the sweetness of John's laundry detergent as it mingled with the scent of the soap she had purchased in the village which he dutifully used. She focused on the feel of his skin on her face, the smooth skin at the base of his neck and the texture of his burn scars just to the left, hidden beneath the fabric of his polo shirt. For just the briefest of seconds the stench of the sewers dissolved and Rachel could breath. For just a moment Rachel's world was the unique sensational experience of John Bennett.

It was enough of a distraction to clear her senses. Relieved, Rachel gently pulled away from John, and shot him a look of gratitude that she knew he would understand and immediately sought out the scent of the fugitive Alpha.

Next Morning-

Rachel walked towards John's desk, his head down, he was writing out the beginnings of the mission report detailing their romp through the slime. "I just wanted to say thanks, you know, for what you did for me in the sewers, you could have demanded I go up top and make a big protective scene, but you didn't." Rachel leaned against the edge of John's desk, "I appreciate it. How did you know that would work?"

John shifted in his chair and smiled, "It was a guess, honestly. I figured maybe if you had just one familiar scent to focus on, you could like, you know, reboot or something." He shrugged, "There's no shame in taking a minute, Rachel, sometimes Hicks takes a moment and fires a second shot."

Any embarrassment from the day before gone, Rachel smiled playfully, "I see, so you weren't just trying to steal a moment for yourself?" John chuckled as he rose to put his jacket on- intent on breakfast with this adorable woman.

"Rachel, how can you steal what's already yours?"


End file.
